Pneumatic vehicle-spring.



H. H.\GILES.

PNEUMATIC VEHICLE SPRING. APPLICATION FILED DEC. II, 19I6.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

L s mao y 7% mm nvemfoz HE/FBf/PTH 6/4 55 H. H.- GILES PNEUMATIC VEHICLE SPRING. APPUcATloN FILED 056.11.19us.

m wza; Patented Dec. 31,1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- HERBERT H. GILES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T GILES ENGINEERING,

COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A GILES AND WALDO B. 'I'OURTELLOTT COPARTNERSHIP GONSISTING OF HERBERT H.

PNEUMATIC vEHreLE-sPnme.

- Pneumatic Vehicle-Springs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved pneumatic spring or cushion device intended for .useeither as a substitute for 'or in connection with the usual resilient metallic springs of a vehicle, such as an automobile or railroad car.

I obtain this object by providing a cylinder having its top open and preferably attached to the axle of the car, a second cylinder'having its top open, sliding within the first cylinder and a third cylinder being open at the bottom and closed at the top sliding within said second cylinder, .the three cylinders together forming two independent chambers. The innermost cylinder is preferably attached .to the body of the car. The two independent chambers are maintained at the desired pressure by, being connected to a pressure source. Suitable inlet and release valves are provided to automatically maintain the desired pressure within the chambers. somewhat larger in diameter than the first mentioned cylinder is fitted thereover and is concentric with it forming a third cylindrical chamber around the first cylinder. An additional cylindrical member fitting over and fixed to the third cylindrical member-is provided with a flange which fits within the third cylindrical chamber and travels as a piston therein. This last men: tionedchamber 'and piston-together with suitable valves are provided to cushion the recoil of the spring. If desirable, the first and' third mentioned cylinders may be attached to the usual metallicspr'ings instead of the axle and .body of the car respectively.

One of the many features of this device is that it is simple in its construction, strong, durable, eflicient in its use, automatically regulated, and comparatively inexpensive.

Other novel; features of construction and arrangement of parts will be evident from the detailed description and the accompany- Specification of Letters Patent.

to similar A fourth cylinder- Patented Dec. 311, me.

Application filed December 11, 1916. S eria1No.'136,193.

drama.

ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar numerals refer parts in all the views and in whichl Figure l is anelevation of my device with the cylindrical portion shown in sect1on, as indicated on line 11 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is av section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken of Fig.1; Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1. 9

Referring to the drawings, 1 open at the top and provided with a flange 2 at the bottom is attached to an axle 3 of a-vehicle by means of bolts or otherwise. The cylinder 4 open at the top and closed the cylinder on line 3-3 at the bottom is adapted to slide withinthe provided with the packing the chamber A air-tight. kept at its uppermost posicylinder'l and is rings 5 to make The cylinder 4 is tion the rod 7 which is inlturn screwed into the l fiftom of the cylinder- 1 as shown in Fig. 1.

by means of the washer Gfitting over-- cylinder 8 open at the bottom and closed at the top is'adjapted to slide within the rings 9 to make the chamber The cylinder 8 is attached to vehicle '10 preferably by means bers 11 and 12 which'together form a universal joint as is clearly shown in Figs. 1

cylinder 4 and is provided with packing body of .the

and 2. The cylindrical member 13 shaped as shown in Fig. 1 is fastened to the head ofthe cylinder 8 by means of bolts 14 and is provided with a flange 15 while its interior diameter is such as to fit over the outer surface of the cylinder 1. The cylindrical member 16 fitting over the flange 15 of the cylindrical member 13 is fixed to the flange of the cylinder 1 by means of bolts 17 while at the too its bore" is reduced so as to fit over the outer surface of the cylinder 13. The flange 15 acts as a piston slidingwithin the cylindrical chamber 0 formed by the B air-tight of the memsides of the cylinders 1 and 16. The champressure source by is provlded with a her A is connected to a means of the pipe 18 and check valve 19 at the inlet.

The chamber B is connected to the same pressure source a type well mit air to enter into the chamber C but wil not allow it to escape.

the art and will release chamber when it exceeds a predetermlned The air inlet valve 25 fixed at the top of 16 or of the chamber C is of the cylinder known to the art and will peri The automatic air release valve 26 fixed at the top. of the chamber C is also of a type well known to the pressure in'the amount. The valve 26 is preferably adjustable so that the maximum pressure in the chambers C may be varied if so desired.

It will now be evident that when the piston- 15 descends in the chamber C a partial vacuumwill be created in the space, above the, piston. This in valve 25 to open and admit air at atmospheric pressure. into the upper portion of the chamber C. When the piston 15 starts to move upwardly, the valve25. will-close and the air confined above the piston will now be compressed until it reaches a predetermined amount when the valve 26 will open'and' release-the pressure. It will be observed thatlthearea of the bottom of the cylinder 4 exposed to the chamber A is larger than that exposed to the chamber B and since the pressure in the two chambers is the same, the bottom of the cylinder 4 will normally be in contact with the washer 6.

The operation of the device is as follows: Let it be assumed that due to an irregularity in the roadway, the axle 3 moved upwardly. This will first cause the cylinder 1 to slide upwardly past cylinder 4 but due to the pressure in the chamber A, the cylinder 4 will move upward, its bottom reacting against the washer 6. Immediately after that, the cylinder 8 will move downwardly sliding past cylinder 4 and the air in chammined, amount.

ber'B will be compressed. As soon as-the pressure in chamber B exceeds that in chamber A, the cylinder 4 will move downwardly compressing the air in chamber A still more. When the pressure in either chamber exallow the pressure to drop to the predeter- While this is taking place, the piston 15 is moving downwardly in chamber C, and due to a partial. vacuum being formed in chamber C abOVe the piston, air at atmospheric pressure will enter position of cylinder 4: is

turn will cause the the chamber through the valve 25. After the body 10 has reached its the recoil will send it upwardly, and the cylinders 4 and 8 will move upwardly. This will cause the air in chamber G above the piston 15 to be compressed and it will therefore retard the upward motion of the body lowest position? 10. When the pressure in the upper 'portion of the chamber C exceeds a predetermined amount, the valve 26 will open and allow the pressure to be reduced. i

It will be noted-that limited by the washer 6, it will occupy a plurality of 'positions in the chamber A as the pressures in chambers A and B are alternately varied as the vehicle is vibrated. It will also be evident that the alternate variations in pressure in the chambers A, B and C will provide a very elastic spring action.

While Ihave shown the preferred form of my device, many modificationsmay be made embodying the essential principal thereof. I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the exact details shown, but wish to include all equivalent devices. I

Having thus described my invention 1 claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a. pneumatic "ehicle-spring, the combination of three each of the cylinders having one end' open, the three cylinders together forming two independent chambers, and a pressure source connected to each of said chambers, adapted to maintain the interiornof said. chambers at a pressure sufficient to sustain the weight of the car, the said cylinders be-. ing adapted to telescope and compress the air within the chambers when the vehicle is vibrated whereby a spring action tained.

v2. Ina pneumatic vehicle-spring, the combination of three telescoping cylinders, each of the cylinders having one end open, the three cylinders together forming two is ob-- while the uppermost telescoping cylinders, I t

independent chambers, a pressure source connected to each of said chambers, adapted to maintain the interior of said chambers at ed to release the pressure in said chambers when it exceeds a predetermined amoun 3. In .a pneumatic vehicle-spring, the

combination of a plurality of telescoping cylinders, each of said cylinders having one end open, the cylinders together forming two chambers one above the other and one chamber encircling" the other two, a piston sliding within said external chamber. and fixed to the uppermost cylinder, a pressure mined amount.

Laeegee press the air within the said interior chambers when the vehicle is vibrated whereby a spring action is obtained and a valve connected to said external chamber above the piston adapted to permit air at atmospheric pressure toenter into said chamber and to prevent the air from escaping therefrom,-

whereby the air within said chamber is compressed when the piston is moved upwardly and'thereby the upward motion of the body is retarded. i

4:. In a pneumatic vehiclespring, the combination of a plurality of telescoping cylinders, each of said cylinders having one end open, the cylinders together forming two chambers one above the other and one chamber encircling the other two, a piston sliding within said external chamber and fixed to the uppermost cylinder, a pressure source connected to each of said interior chambers adapted to maintain the interior of said chambers at a pressure suiiicient to sustain the weight of the car, the said cylinders being adapted to telescope and compress the air within the said interior chambers when the vehicle is vibrated whereby a spring action isobtained, a valve connected tosaid external chamber'above 'the piston adapted to permit air at atmospheric pressure to enter into said chamber andto prevent the air from escaping therefromwhere by the air within said chamber is compressed when the piston is moved upwardly and thereby the upward motion of the body isretarded, and release valves in each of said chambers adapted to release the pressure in said chambers when it exceeds a predeter- 5. In a pneumaticvehicle-spring, the

combination of three telescoping cylinders,

each of the cylinders having one end open, the three cylinders together forming two independent chambers, a pressure source connected to each of said chambers, adapted to maintain the interior of said chambers at a pressure sufiicient to sustain the weight of the car, the said cylinders being adapted to telescope and compress the air within the chambers when the vehicle is vibrated whereby a spring action is obtained, release valves in each of said chambers adapted to release the pressure in said chambers when it exceeds a predetermlned amount, and

means for limiting the uppermost position of the middle cylinder. 6. In a pneumatic combination of three telescoping cylinders, each of the cylinders having one end open, the three cylinders together forming two independent chambers, a pressure source -when it exceeds a predetermined 'der and passing through 1 cylinder,

, and fixed to the body vehicle spring, the

connected to each of said chambers, adapted to maintain the interior of said chambers at a pressure sufiicient to sustain the weight of the car,'the said cylinders being adapted to telescope and compress the air within the chambers when the vehicle is vibrated whereby a spring action is obtained, release valves in each. of said chambers adapted to release the pressure in said chambers amount, a rod fixed to the base ofthe lowest cylinthe base of the middle cylinder and a washer fitting over said rod and held in position by lock nuts adapted to limit the the middle cylinder.

7. In a pneumatic vehicle-spring, the combination of a cylinder having a closed base and open top fixed to theaxle of a vehicle, a second cylinder having a closed base and open top fitting within said first cylinder, a

third cylinder having its bottom open and fitting within said second cylinder and fixed to the body of'the vehicle, the three cylinders together forming two chambers one above the other, another cylinder fixed to the bottom of said first diameter larger than the first cylinder forming a chamber between the last, and first mentioned cylinders, a cylindrical piston sliding Within said last mentioned chamber and fixed to the uppermost cylinder, a pressure source connected to each of said interior chambers adapted-to maintain the in- 'cient to sustain the weight ofthe car, the said cylinders being adapted to telescope and compress the air within thesaid interior chambers when the vehicle is vibrated whereby aspring action is obtained, and a 105i valve connected to said external chamber piston adapted to permit air at pressure to enter into said to prevent the air from escapcombination of a cylinder having a closed 115 base and open top fixed to the axle of a vehicle, a second cylinder having a closed open top fitting within said first a third cylinder having its bottom open and fitting within base and of the vehicle, the three cylinders together forming two chain; bers one above the other, another cylinder fixed to the bottom of said first cylinder having a diameter larger than the "first cyl- 125 -1nder forming a chamber 9 between the last and first mentioned cylinders, a cylindrical piston sliding within said last mentioned pihamber'and fixed to the uppermost cylinuppermost position of cylinder, having a terior of-said chambers at a pressure sufii whereby the air within said the upward said second cylinder v a pressure source connected to each of said interior chambers adapted to maintain the interior of said chambers at a pressure sufiicient to sustain the weight of the car, the said cylinders being adapted to telescope and compress the air within the said interior chambers when the vehicle is vibrated, whereby a spring action is obtained, a valve connectedto said external chamber above the piston adapted to permit air at atmospheric pressure to enter into said chamber and to prevent the air from eseaping therefrom, chamber is whereby the air within said compressed when the piston is moved upwardly. and thereby the'upward Signed at Brooklyn, p Kings; State of New York this 8th day of 20 December, 1916.

in the county of HERBERT H. GILES. 

